Done correctly, a classic tiramisù can be transcendent. A creamy dessert of espresso-soaked ladyfingers surrounded by lightly sweetened whipped cream and a rich mascarpone, tiramisù relies heavily on the quality of its ingredients. If you don’t have a barista setup at home, pick up the espresso at a local coffee shop, or use strongly brewed coffee. As for the ladyfingers, make your own or buy them, but keep in mind that store-bought varieties can range from soft and spongy (like angel food cake) to hard and crunchy (like biscotti). Both kinds will work here, but if you're using the softer variety, stick to a light brushing of espresso, instead of a deep dip.
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
FOR THE CREAM
4 large egg yolks
½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar, divided
¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup/227 grams mascarpone (8 ounces)
FOR THE ASSEMBLY
1 ¾ cups good espresso or very strong coffee
2 tablespoons rum or cognac
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
About 24 ladyfingers (from one 7-ounce/200-gram package)
1 to 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, for shaving (optional)
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Prepare the cream: Using an electric mixer in a large bowl, whip together egg yolks and ¼ cup/50 grams sugar until very pale yellow and about tripled in volume. A slight ribbon should fall from the beaters (or whisk attachment) when lifted from the bowl. Set aside.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whip cream and remaining ¼ cup/50 grams sugar until it creates soft peaks. Add mascarpone and continue to whip until it creates a soft, spreadable mixture with medium peaks. Gently fold the mascarpone mixture into the sweetened egg yolks until combined.
By The New York Times
By The New York Times
Step 3
For the assembly, combine espresso and rum in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Step 4
Using a sifter, dust the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish (an 8x8-inch dish, or a 9-inch round cake pan would also work here) with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.
Step 5
Working one at a time, quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso mixture -- they are quite porous and will fall apart if left in the liquid too long -- and place them rounded side up at the bottom of the baking dish. Repeat, using half the ladyfingers, until you’ve got an even layer, breaking the ladyfingers in half as needed to fill in any obvious gaps (a little space in between is O.K.). Spread half the mascarpone mixture onto the ladyfingers in one even layer. Repeat with remaining espresso-dipped ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture.
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The New York Times Cooking
Step 6
Dust top layer with remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (if you can wait 24 hours, all the better). Top with shaved or finely grated chocolate, if desired, then slice or scoop to serve.
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Comments
Sander
There's no cream in tiramisu. You beat the yolks with sugar (ruban), and mix with mascarpone. You beat the whites with sugar separately and then fold the two together. This creates a light, fluffy mixture which you'll never get using cream. Liquor is either amaretto or marsala (personally I don't care what you use, but the recipe is supposed to be 'classic'). Also, if you don't use raw eggs it's NOT a tiramisu. Different technique alltogether and totally irrational to be afraid of raw eggs.
Ellie
Ignore the purists. Although calling it authentic can be misleading, there is nothing wrong with praising a delicious take on a classic.
After making this 5x now, my takeaways:
-the quality of espresso and the strength make the dish. If you don’t have a moka pot or espresso maker, either make super concentrated coffee with good beans, or get espresso from a good coffee shop (worth the effort!)
-can sub vanilla extract for the liquor, but half the volume
-1/3c of sugar is plenty instead of 1/2c
lucyhuh
Superb recipe. Like others, I too was a little worried about the egg yolks- so after whipping the yolks and sugar in my stand mixer I put it over a double boiler and cooked the mixture for about three minutes while continuously whipping it. It folded beautifully into the mascarpone and cream.
I used tongs to dip the ladyfingers into the rum/espresso which made them much easier to handle.
Ladyfingers are sometimes difficult to find- World Market carries an excellent Italian brand (Vicenzovo).
Steven
Ok, purists; I’ve made this exact recipe twice, following it to the letter—and it is as good if not better than what I had living in Rome for several years. I’m a first generation 100% Italian American and I agree with the commenter that there are as many versions of Tiramisu in Italy as one can imagine. There is no one and only recipe. And my Italian relatives, like so many in Italy, do not have written recipes. However, there is no substitute for first rate espresso coffee. As for the raw egg yokes, again no substitute. Either buy pasteurized eggs or pasteurize them yourself. I have a sous vide machine and regularly pasteurize eggs when called for raw eggs. No big deal. Rum is my choice for the liquor as it tones down the sweetness from the sugar. Also, one can make their own mascarpone which one can find online which demystifies this whole process and is my preference. This is, in fact, an easy recipe which produces stellar results. My compliments to Alison Roman—well done!
